Awakening
by Naoko Kensaku
Summary: Wow! Fastest fic for me! Done in one month! Read and enjoy!
1. Prologue

  


Hehehe... This is fast, ne? Well, this is the sequel to "Crystal Rose." Hope you guys enjoy it! Oh, and thank you very very very much for the reviews, Kittengurl! *Miaow! * I'm glad _you_ enjoyed them, if no one else! *Looks at the empty seats on stage*

  


  


Her dreams were troubled. She tossed and turned in her sleep, not understanding what was happening to her. Six Sentinel statues stood around a wooden door that hung in mid-air. Each alternate statue faced the door, while the others had their backs to the door. _You must protect the World from the Door, and the Door from the World,_ a voice seemed to say. They made it sound like it was some kind of sacred duty. Idly, she wondered if she could use this for a story. How did they get here? Why were they here?

  


She turned over in her sleep as images came over her mind, making it seem like a cohesive story. Her lips curled as she explored the possibilities, unaware that what she was seeing had actually happened at one time. To give your souls up… That was truly the ultimate sacrifice in her book. Yet a question remained. There had been _two_ souls residing in each body. One of them were the Chosen One. The other, was her Heir, the reincarnation of that spirit, or was it? She turned over again.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


The Sentinel known as Cara opened her eyes. A woman of insignificant size stood at her feet, yet in this time and place size meant nothing. What was important was the personage herself. She recognized her of course. She was the woman who had saved her and her sister from that terrible fate. Unfortunately in return they were to stand guard at this door for eternity, but that was a small price to pay. 

  


"You've been in contact again with your other self," the woman said almost accusingly. 

  


_I must watch over her. If she dies, we would have failed in our tasks_, Cara replied. 

  


"Leave that to us. You must remain vigilant against what might happen here," the woman said. 

  


_Not if it means that the girl will be put in danger. She remembers nothing of her past. _

  


"That may be so, but her body remembers. When the time comes it will protect her." 

  


_The Shikigamis do not offer adequate protection either. You've put them to sleep._ It was Cara's turn to be accusing. 

  


"You do your job, and I'll do mine. This place must be guarded against the Destroyer," the woman said, her golden hair moving about in the wind. 

  


_Sister,_ a new voice said, _Someone else is already taking care of that. You need not worry… Intruder!_

  


"Wha… Where?!" the woman said. 

  


_He is gone,_ a third voice said. _We know him now. We have been trying to identify him for the past few weeks_. 

  


_We will kill him if he so much dares to go near our other selves_, Cara said. 

  


"But that will mean…" the woman was horrified by the prospect. No one answered her. The Sentinels were silent, but it was grim silence that filled the air. 

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stood outside her window, watching her as she slept. For three months now she had forgotten all that happened when the Gates of Hell were about to be opened. He knew that because Inari, God of Foxes and the Rice God as well, had come looking for him. He alone knew the truth of what had happened to his sister and her friends. He knew that the others were safe, but there was one more girl who needed to be found. He needed to ensure that his sister would be safe here, before he could look for his sister's sister. 

  


For that, nothing less than the best would do. 

  



	2. Chapter 1

  


"You're kidding," Kurama told his stepfather. 

  


"Nope. My son, this is a truly great honour. I'm so proud of you!" the man said. 

  


Kurama was being sent overseas on assignment for his dad. There was a deal that had to be closed with a certain company and the negotiations were too delicate for an outsider to handle. Because the general elections were coming, the company could not afford to send their chairman over to Japan. However, they had 'invited' a representative to come over there at their expense. The company chairman, who bore a striking resemblance to one of the ferry girls in Koenma's employment, had seen Kurama in action and told Hatanaka Sr. that Kurama should go. 

  


"But father…" Kurama began. He liked this man, mainly because his mother adored him, but the guy had his heart in the right places. 

  


"No buts, Minami. I'm sorry but the chairman insisted that you go," he said. 

  


"Bring me back something!" Syuichi Hatanaka said. 

  


Looking imploringly at his mother, the woman just smiled a soft smile of pride. Kurama sighed. There was no way he could get out of this. Then again, time out from his duties as part of the Reikai Tantei would be good for him. He ruffled his brother's hair good-naturedly. Then he looked at his 'Kaa-san. She, of course, was the main reason why he was so reluctant to leave. She was several months pregnant, and though the doctors had said that she was fine* Kurama was still concerned about her. 

  


"When do I go?" he asked. 

  


"This Friday. We have a meeting with the president tomorrow," his father beamed at him. "Oh, and Minami," Kurama looked up, "Thank you." 

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thank you for coming," the man in the mask said. 

  


"What do you want?" Hiei asked him. He wondered why these Ninjens bothered wearing masks. It was not like he could tell them apart, the YYH crew no withstanding. The only reason he was here was because Inari had told him to come. 

  


"It's my sister. I want you to look after her for a while," the man said. 

  


"I'm not babysitting!" Hiei said vehemently. 

  


"This is not babysitting, Hiei-san. This is protection. My sister's memories and skills have been locked away for her own protection. Only in cases of extreme danger will they be unlocked, and even then, only partially. The only way for her to recover her full memory is if she remembers people whom she trusted. Contrary to her appearance, my sister did not trust many," he said. 

  


"Who is she?" Hiei asked. 

  


"Sukina Toriyama."

  



	3. Chapter 2

  


Kurama landed in the tropical country known as Malaysia. It was a beautiful summer's day, and he was glad that he had purchased thin clothes for his days here. As he went through the beautifully artistic airport known as KLIA, he caught a whiff of something familiar. Looking around, he saw nothing that stood out in particular, except for a group of teenagers waiting for their friend, it would seem. He shrugged it off, more irritated with the fact that he could not remember where he had caught the scent before. Kurama was a gardener after all. 

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was walking when he caught sight of her. Long, deep auburn hair cascaded past her shoulders, framing her face in a look of innocence. Her dark brown eyes were framed by frameless spectacles that lent her a mature look. She had soft red lips that were curled in a wistful smile. A scrunchy was on her left wrist, as though it were some armlet. 

  


He passed her on the way to the office, catching a snippet of the conversation with her friends. Her voice was melodic, but very tomboyish. She caught a glimpse of him, but her eyes gave no recognition, only puzzlement. He smiled at her and went on his way, nearly bumping into one of the other staff members. She looked like someone familiar, but he didn't think that she was the girl he'd remembered. 

  


"Sumanae, Dr. Gabriel. Are you okay?" he asked. 

  


"Yes, of course. Thanks for asking," she replied. 

  


"Who's that girl?" he asked as they made their way to the meeting room. 

  


"Which one?"

  


"One of the girls in the Atrium just now. She has dark brown eyes, auburn hair, and she's very tomboyish. She also wears spectacles," he described. 

  


"Was she with a girl who really looks like a China doll?" she asked. 

  


"Yes!" he replied. 

  


"I know her," she said as he held open the door for her. "She's in my Public Relations class."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Did you see that cute guy just now?" Min asked. 

  


"Yeah, he was looking at Karen," Shida said.

  


"Stop it you two! We're here to study!" Karen, the girl in question, blushed. 

  


"So, which chapter is coming out again?" Min asked, and they bent down to their textbooks again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


When he left the meeting it was about six. The girl was nowhere in sight. He said goodbye to the people, declining their offer to send him back to the hotel. He wanted to wander around this area when there were not so many students. It allowed him to focus his chi better. 

  


He made his way to a small café, ordering a cup of coffee. It was then that he saw her again. She walked past the café, eyebrows drawn in concentration. She was talking to someone, using a wireless kit that left her hands free. Her tone was irritated and annoyed. Anger suited her to a degree, he thought. She looked fierce, adding a luminous beauty to her face. 

  


"Mom! I'm still here, waiting for you! Well, how am I supposed to make my way back now? I don't want to take the LRT," she said, her voice rising higher with each word. 

  


She did not seem to like what was being said on the other side, but she seemed to have finally agreed. She walked into the café, ordered a cup of iced lemon tea, and left. The café owners seemed to know her pretty well. Kurama, on the other hand, was still staring at her. For a moment, he had glimpsed… But it couldn't be! She was dead! Wasn't she? He had thought that this girl who looked like her but…

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He saw her again the next day. She was sitting at the corner of a stage reading while drinking a cool can of coffee. Her shoulders were hunched as she read the textbook. Kurama looked at his watch. He was early today, which was something he had planned. He walked over to her, pretending to look a little lost. 

  


"Excuse me," he said. She looked up and stared at him for a moment. She was not that comfortable with guys coming up to her. 

  


"Yes?" she said, her voice soft. 

  


"Uh… I was wondering where the toilets were. The office is not yet opened, you see," he said, pointing to the glass doors that led to the corporate offices. 

  


"Straight ahead, turn left, second door," she said, pointing. He smiled. 

  


"Thanks. Could you look after my stuff for me?" he said, holding up his briefcase. 

  


She looked at her watch, and then told him that he had fifteen minutes before she had to go for an exam. Thanking her, Kurama went away. Of course, he didn't really need to go to the toilet; it was just an excuse. 

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sukina-chan! You're going to be late if you don't hurry!" the woman in charge of the orphanage said. 

  


The young blond girl quickly put the rose hairpin to the back of her head. It was holding back six plaits, three from each side. She took a quick comb through her thin fringe that covered her forehead before running downstairs with her suitcase hanging on her wrist as she buttoned up her coat for school. Downstairs, 'Kaa-san Ikari had already seen the children off, and was now at the door with Sukina's lunch box. "Arigato, 'Kaa-san," Sukina said, before running out the door for the bus. 

  


She managed to catch it just as it was about to close. The bus driver had waited an extra two minutes, accustomed to the girl. He was wondering about the changes in her personality, but had decided not to question it. It had made her a more lighter and happier person, he decided, seeing how easily she mixed with people now. 

  


A jagan (do I _really_ need to mention who?) was watching Sukina as she left the house, got on the bus and sat down with her friends. At first he had thought that this was the same Sukina that had beaten him, but it wasn't. This was merely a Ninjen whom Inari most likely had his eye on and whom bore a remarkable resemblance to the Sukina he'd known. Her mannerisms, her attitude. He wished the kitsune were here. He would have been able to make better sense of what was going on. 

  



	4. Chapter 3

Sukina was reading when she felt someone's eyes on her. Turning, she saw no one, but she was a little puzzled when her eyes turned to the tall, cypress tree outside her classroom. There was no way anyone could have been hiding there. The tree didn't have much hiding space. 

"Sukina! Read to us your translation of chapter five!" The teacher brought her attention sharply back to the present. 

"Hai!" Sukina said, standing up and reading her translation. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He watched her with angry eyes. Years ago, when she was no more than a foetus her mother had defied him. She'd later paid the price of course, but it took him a good thirteen years to track her down. To his dismay, he found that she was more than his match and he had retired to building up an army to catch her. That plan was foiled when her sister sought her out and together they made an invincible partnership. 

Five years later, he had held out hope when the Gates of Hell were about to be opened. It was not his fault of course. He could not engineer something like that, but it would have given him the Chosen Ones. That was foiled when the Rulers of Makai, particularly Mukuro, came to her rescue. They would all pay, but now… Now he had an opportunity like never before. She was alone, she was defenceless and she had _no_ memory of what had happened before. One of his men had pointed out that since she did not remember anything, she would be useless to them anyway. 

The man had died quite painfully. He knew something the other didn't. If you killed her, the spirit would come and either avenge her or heal her body, either for her own soul or for the girl's, it didn't matter. He would accomplish several things; getting hold of an Heir, getting hold of the Crystal Rose, and the Seals to the Gates of Hell would weaken. All in all, he could not fail.

He smiled. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the exam was over, Karen left the classroom and headed towards the computer labs, where she could surf the Internet and get some last minute printouts. Just as she reached the computer lab door, she bumped into two familiar faces. One was a man, the other a boy, both heads taller than she was. "Hey CK," she greeted the boy. She gave the other a curt nod. 

"Have you seen Emma or any of the other student ambassadors?" he asked her after returning her greeting. She shook her head. 

"Only Jean, and she left about half an hour ago," she replied. 

"Thanks. Shall we move on, Minami-san?" CK asked, when Karen, who had just stepped foot into the lab, whirled and stared at him. 

"Minami? As in Minami from Yuyu Hakusho?" she said. CK grinned. 

"She's a big fan of this anime character. His name happens to be Syuichi Minami, like yours," CK explained unnecessarily to Kurama, who knew it all, of course. 

"I guessed that. I can't seem to escape the guy. The name was bad enough, but the red hair…" he smiled, knowing that the other two would have been able to imagine the rest. Karen was a fanfic author after all, and she was quite familiar with the phenomenon known as the "Rabid Fangirl Syndrome." She had fallen victim to it once or twice. *

"Can I have your autograph?" she asked, looking appealingly at him. Kurama grinned and obliged her, noting that she was prepared with an autograph book. 

"It was for Phil. I wanted him to sign it for me," she explained, referring to a last-year student. 

When it was done, Kurama knew where she lived, what time she planned to leave, and most importantly, confirmation. She was Naoko, but this was a different Naoko. She retained no memory of what happened in Japan, and most likely, her training as well. Before, she had this air of confidence that was sharpened by her own martial abilities, but now it was an air of confidence of simply being able to look after herself. 

He should tell the rest of the Reikai Tantei. What was going on?

*In case you haven't guessed, Karen is a Kurama fangirl. 

Muse a.k.a Karen: So are you!

Me: Of course! Kurama… *drools for about two hours*

Ja ne! Leave a nice review for me, okay? Well, if you're going to flame me, please do it politely. Arigato! J


	5. Chapter 4

Koenma was not surprised to hear the news. Kurama had phoned ahead, asking that Koenma be present when he got online later that day. It was about ten at night in Japan when he finally arrived. It was only seven in the evening on his side. Hiei was not there, but they knew he would be monitoring the conversation as well. Kurama was using a netcam provided by the hotel. They were using the netcam Kurama had installed in Kuwabara's house. 

Upon being told, Koenma nodded his head. Several pieces immediately fell into place, things told to him by his cousin, Reka. It would explain why all the Divine Beings entrusted to the Gates were taking a vacation. He frowned as Kurama said that the girl was next to helpless, particularly if demons tried to attack her. 

"Wasn't there one who tried to capture them? The one we had to rescue them from?" Kurama said. 

"Rumen. He's a small-time demon in Makai, in one of the outer provinces, as far away from anyone else as he could possibly make it," Koenma said, when Yusuke interrupted him. 

"Not anymore. He's starting to consolidate power. Rumour's that he's going to try for the seat of the throne of Makai without going through the tournament. I doubt if he has enough power to beat any of us in fair combat," Yusuke said. 

"Rumen is also one of the oldest demons in Makai," a new voice interrupted. Two people stood at the door, having being shown in by Shizuru. "He has a grudge against the descendants of Suriela and Ruina," the woman said, drawing back her hood. It was Mukuro. "The two who saved me," she explained to their blank faces. 

"He's the closest to the territory once ruled by Father, and his people are stirring things up. Some of the youkai have already complained to him. The names Sukina and Naoko came up once and twice," the second removed his hood. It was Shuura. 

"The Council sent us here to determine what we could do. Apparently, _your_ God," she said to the kitsune, "Had paid Enki a visit."

"Inari? I never thought he would interfere in the affairs of men!" Kurama said, his face clearly mirroring his surprise. 

"He does. If he's shown such a personal interest in the girls…" Koenma mused, before deciding to tell them everything. 

"Sukina, Naoko and the other girls had _two_ souls living in them. One was the soul of the slain Heirs, and the other…" he was saying when Yusuke interrupted him. 

"I thought Sukina and the others were descendants of the Heirs!" 

Koenma shook his head. He had to admit though, that Naoko had prepared them pretty well for what he was about to tell them. "They weren't. They were the _reincarnation_ of the said girls. There were two souls residing in their bodies. One was the Heir, the other was the body's own soul. The Heir was content to remain in the background, dormant rather. They lent the girls their abilities, but the other souls had their own area of expertise as well. That was why they were so immensely strong. However, when they made the sacrifice, the Heirs awoke. I don't know how they knew, but they took the place of the girls. They did not want these girls to die, so they took their place. That's why Naoko seems so weak. Most of her abilities, although they were learnt by her body, came from the Heir. As far as I know, Naoko is defenceless. Am I right?" Koenma said. Kurama nodded. 

"I'll need to investigate further, for I think they said something about the seals being reinforced by the Heirs only so long as the girls were alive. Kurama, could you stay there until we have this cleared up? Who knows about Sukina?" he said. 

_I do._ It was Hiei. _I'm watching over her now. I'M NOT BABYSITTING!_ He sent a strong message to them. 

"Just keep an eye on her until we get matters settled. I'll keep you informed," Koenma said, leaving. 

"We'll stay here as well," Mukuro said, settling down on a settee. Shuura sat at her feet. 

"I'll see you guys soon!" Kurama logged off. 

At the end, Kuwabara was left with the unenvious task of lodging Mukuro and Shuura. 


	6. Chapter 5

Sukina was dancing in a small wood, her body lost to unheard music. As she danced, a short man watched. He was not so much watching her as he was watching _over_ her. He was always on the lookout for danger to her. Her instincts told her that he could, and should be trusted, no matter what others said. He was a short man with white bangs and a truly fearsome look on his face. 

She did not hear the rustlings of the bushes, but he did. Suddenly, a huge creature jumped out, and was in the clearing. The man withdrew a _katana _from his back, and strode to fight the creature. Sukina had her own occupation though. Thousands of flies appeared from nowhere, and she tried to beat them away, but failed. The babbling of the stream nearby reminded her that insects never liked being immersed in water. 

The man shouted at her as she ran towards the stream, but she paid him no heed. The stream was deeper than it looked. She launched herself from the very edge of the stream into it. Her dive was clean and smooth, the water deep enough for her to dive without injuring herself. 

The insects stopped following her, and fell away from her in the water. She looked around her now. The water was far deeper than she had suspected, so deep that she might have been in an ocean or a lake rather than a stream. Someone swam up to her. She touched Sukina on the shoulder from the back. Sukina turned so quickly to her, that her blond hair obscured her face. It was no matter. She was short of breath, and needed to return to the surface quickly. 

The woman kissed her, giving her air. At the moment Sukina brushed her hair across her face, she opened her eyes to see who was her mysterious benefactor. 

She saw the sun shining in her eyes instead. 

Raising an arm to shield her sight, she sighed. She had been so close to discovering who the woman was. This was the closest she had been. Her dreams of the past fortnight had the same theme, just different settings. Always, always, it had been a man watching over her, the same man. He and the mysterious woman knew each other. Only once had she seen them both together in front of her eyes, and he had given the woman a grudging salute. She had sensed that he was not a man who respected others easily. 

The woman on the other hand, reminded her of her mother, yet there was an air about her that was not her mother at the same time. She would protect Sukina, but, Sukina mused, who would protect the woman?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ah-choo!" Karen sneezed as she left the library for a drink. It was far too cold to be in there. 

Outside, students were milling around, most having finished their semester today. The last paper was over and they were on their way home. Some, like her, had other preoccupations. Karen walked down the stairs, looking for a café to buy a drink. She found Minami in there, nursing a large mug of hot coffee. He motioned her to come over and sit down with him. She did. 

"I thought you were on holiday now," he said. She grinned. 

"It just began today. How come you're still here? I thought your business with Corporate Services would have ended by now," she said. 

"They ordered some new computers from us. I've a responsibility to see them arrive here in one piece," Kurama answered. 

"You don't, not unless you don't trust your agent here that much," she grinned. 

"How would you know whether the company has an agent or anything?" he smiled back, enjoying the banter. 

They talked like that for a little while more, until her phone rang. Kurama noted that like most girls, her voice changed immediately when talking to a lover. She gave him her location, and then sat back, continuing their banter. 

"What were the specs for the computers?" she asked him. He told her. She let out a low whistle. 

"Wait. Are they for us or for the office?" she asked him as a thought occurred to her. He shrugged, but he doubted very much they were for the office. The amount they ordered would fit a college requirement more than a corporate office. 

"Hey baby," a boy, taller than Karen but shorter than Kurama, came over and kissed Karen on the cheek. His eyes had a territorial look. 

"Hie! Shall we go?" she looked up at him. It was plain that Karen adored him, and he her. "See you later, Minami-san," she said. 

Kurama said goodbye to her, looking at their retreating backs and the easy way they held each other with an unfathomable look.


	7. Chapter 6

No reviews? WAA!!!!! Oh well. I'll just keep on writing for now. I hope _someone _comes by and read this soon. 

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"Where is he?" Koenma asked. 

"He is not to be disturbed. You may leave a message for him, but you cannot see him now," the pretty young woman bowed. 

"I have to see him now, Priestess. I need to know how much time we have," Koenma replied. 

"Son of Enma, everything happens in its own time. Chronos will decide it, not you or I. He will tell you. You may as well leave," she said. 

"I'll stay here until he decides to see me. Since my own grandaunt is too busy, and my granduncle seems to be the same…" Koenma settled down to wait, but before his butt could touch the seat, the wide doors opened and a Caucasian man entered. He had a long, bushy beard, a pair of intelligent grey eyes, and long, thick grey hair. He was also huge, muscular and standing at about seven foot plus. 

"Thank you, my child," he said to the Priestess. "Since Karma is not around I guess I'll be the one to talk to this young upstart. Go and take a break," he said. 

"Your wish, my Lord," the woman said, turning and leaving Koenma alone with his granduncle in the antechamber. 

"You have your mother's eyes, and your father's temper, I see," he said. 

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but something of utmost importance has occurred. I need to know…" before Koenma could finish his sentence the man put up his hand. 

"Yes, I know. It's about the Chosen Ones. You're wondering how could they still be around, when by right they should be dead and the souls… No you know that already," he looked at Koenma's face. "What you want to know is how long we have until the seals weaken again." Koenma nodded. 

"Come, my son. Sit down with me. I'll tell you all you want to know, and maybe a little bit more."

"The time we have, is until those girls die. Or they give birth. My sister has said that she will select several male candidates for each of the girls, whom she knows that the Creator will not allow their children to have any old souls. It will give her a chance to inject the Heirs souls into the children before the Creator can create new souls for them. She's talking to Her right now," Chronos said. 

"The Creator?" Koenma replied incredulously. 

"The Heirs have not made their choice yet. They must choose whether they will live here and protect this world against the Destroyer, or will they return to their own worlds and live out their lives in peace there? They will have no direct impact on the safety of their worlds if they choose to return, but if they remain they will be subject to constant confrontations, many the same kind of the crisis we had recently. They must be given to make that choice! They understand this, and if anything were to happen to the girls before the Heirs have a chance, then all is lost. The world will end," Chronos said. 

"Protecting them is of utmost importance then," Koenma swallowed, finding that his throat was dry. 

"Yes. Karma and I watched them as they resolved the Crystal Rose Crisis. The Four Element Mistresses are not as important as the ones called Sukina and Naoko. They are the key. The Element Mistresses cannot be destroyed before the Aegis Maid Cara and the Scion Princess Camillie are killed. If you protect Sukina and Naoko, it will be enough. The other four are under my protection," Chronos said. 

"What happens if they are killed?"

"The girls will never make their choice. Instead, they will leave their posts at the Gates of Hell and avenge the girls. The amount of power they would have used would be enough to weaken the seals to the point a good sneeze would open them. That will lead to Chaos and Disaster. Furthermore, because of the way the girls are, they will rip part of the world apart because they will leave Dimensional Breaches everywhere. The girls and the Mistresses could be said to be twins to each other," he answered. 

"I'll make sure that they are protected always," Koenma found his throat was even drier and before. He left the antechamber on shaking knees. __


	8. Chapter 7

I realize that the past few chapters have been focusing a lot on Sukina and Naoko. I'm just trying to lay the foundation for my next fanfic, which is going to be a crossover. The happenings here will have a large impact on the relationships between Sukina, Naoko, Kurama, Hiei, Shuura and Mukuro. Kuwabara and Yusuke, as entertaining as they are, don't really fit the criteria. Next two chapters will be the last, I promise!

Thanks for staying with me!

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Meanwhile…

Sukina stood at the Gates, uncomprehending of what was going on. To her surprise, she saw several women around the Gates, each of them the size of a mountain. They were perfectly proportioned, but their uniforms were one she could not discern. Their clothing styles seemed to be those of the simplistic 1920s, yet there was an archaic feeling to it. She heard the voice of another girl, seemingly far away, when she identified the clothing styles.

"In the 1920s the styles were simpler, more subtle, less complex. It was just like their singing styles too… That whole era has a sense of simplicity I've known nowhere else," the voice said. Sukina felt that she should know the voice. The voice's owner and her had a long history…

She stood at the feet of one of the statues. The woman had long, flowing hair, nearly to her waist. She was dressed in a long, smooth Grecian gown. Her sleeveless arms were adorned with a pair of armlets. Sukina could not make out any other features, as the light was too dim and the statue too high. 

_You came. We thought you would have lost the power…_

What are you? 

_We are the Guardians. Once, a long time ago, we were the Guardians of our Kingdoms. However, we lost control of our Kingdoms. We were laid asleep, awakening only when the Necessity arose. It woke us up far earlier than anyone, even Karma, could have foreseen. In order to protect the Universe, my sister, my friends, and I chose to remain here, to be the Guardians of this place. _

What do you wish me to do?

The Guardian sensed the compassion and desire to help in Sukina. There was so much this little one did not know; yet she was sincere. She did not know how much she resembled the Guardian. 

_I am called Camillie, sister to Cara. In times of danger, call upon me, and I will help you. If they tell you that you only have two choices, remember this. There is always a 'good,' and a 'bad' choice. It may seem black and white, but remember that black and white equals grey. There is always room for compromise. _

I shall remember. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hiei opened his eyes to find Sukina staring out the window at him. He thought that he was merely dreaming, seeing the dreams others had while his _jagan _was open, but it seemed to be not. _Thank you, Hiei. Your protection and devotion overwhelms me_. There was a slightly amused tone to the voice… It was Sukina's voice and her eyes… He realised he was staring, and then recalled where he had seen the same look. 

_It is time for the end game. My sister and I must stop Rumen from carrying out his plans. If he does, we shall all perish,_ she said. 

This was the Sukina of old. Before she had lost her memory. 

Remembering the power she had displayed when they shut down the Gates of Hell, Hiei didn't know whether to be afraid or glad that she seemed to be on _their _side. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karen was standing at the feet of the statue. She looked up at it in awe and wonder. She had heard of wonders like these, statues that were taller than anything else she knew. The Sphinx, the Pyramids… Yet they were all ruins compared to these magnificent creations!

_Yes, we are creations. But we are not inanimate objects. We have a soul and a mind_, someone said to her. 

Telepathy! You can communicate through telepathy! 

The statue laughed. This one reminded her so much of herself. She would not shy away from anything new, but rather, choose to confront them, to understand and make sense of them. She had an analytical mind. However, it was not one that was bound by reason and logic, but by intuitiveness. 

_Yes, we can. But to marvel is not why you were brought here. Or should I say, lured here. _

Lured here? You mean this isn't a dream? Inspired by overwork?

Again she laughed. In another time and place she probably would have given the same response. It was delightful how this little child could be so entertaining. 

_No. We have come to you in a dream, yet this is no dream. Do you understand the paradox? _The girl's nod gave her the answer she knew this girl had, and she continued before the girl could ask another question. 

_The choices we make will haunt us forever. Hindsight is always perfect compared to foresight. Remember that if the road forks into two, there is always a third road. Carve out your own path.*_

I shall remember. 

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Well, this is the last one I completed over a period of _four _days. Wow! I've never worked so fast before. And so disappointed. No one's reading me! Waa!!!

Well, leave a review for me. I may have something for you if you can guess who's the mysterious woman who saved Sukina's life. I'm still split into two minds for that. 

*Too much Gensoumaden Saiyuki. I keep thinking of Vanities of Vanities:

Kill the Father as you meet Him. Kill the son as you meet him.  Kill the Buddha as you meet him. Live life your own way, don't be captivated by anyone. 

Until then. Ja!


	9. Chapter 8

Thank you, thank you Kittengrl! Thank you so much for the review! I didn't realise that you'd reviewed for me. Ah well… At least there's ONE fan out there. *Grins*

This is the second last chapter. Next one's the last, and then the epilogue. Ja!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blast came out from nowhere. One minute people were standing there, some walking and laughing with their friends, when the next, they were being blown away, literally. At the sound of the blast Karen thought at first it was merely something going off in the building. She quickly ran outside the small bookshop where she worked, pulled the glass door shut behind her and locked the door, pocketing the key as she ran. The bookshop was nestled in a corridor, which meant that Karen had to run down the short end of it to see what was going down below. It was not good. 

There were rubble and other ruins about the destroyed area, but what struck her most was the fact that there was no smoke. None. She could easily smell smoke a mile away, but there was none. This was no bomb! A bomb left smoke… What was going on here?

"Naoko! Behind you!" someone shouted. _Minami_, she thought. Instinctively, she ducked. 

The hands missed her. Turning, Karen saw a pair of huge legs behind her, and launched herself to the side on her knees. The problem was she was now lying full-length on the floor, where the man had only to kneel and get hold of her ankles. She quickly pushed herself up, but he grabbed her. _Damn reflexes! I'm slow! _she thought. 

The man laughed and pulled her towards him, but Minami was already there. He kicked the guy in the face to a side, and then turned to her in the same heartbeat. "You okay?" he asked her. She nodded as she got up, but she doubted the huge monster of a man could be defeated so easily. 

"We've got to get out of here!" Minami said. To her credit, Karen didn't even ask him why. She just knew. 

"Follow me!" she said, leaving him to follow her as she led the way to the escalators. There was no use using the stairs as she rarely used them and they could not take the chance of getting lost now. 

"Roar! You're not getting her away from me that easily, _kitsune_!" a familiar voice said. 

Without knowing why, Karen said something under her breath and instantly the man, who had begun to follow them, was smitten by a hundred insects. "When in doubt," she muttered, "Do it small." She didn't realise she had said those things, but Kurama was, and he looked at her as they ran in some surprise. 

"Karen!" one of her ex-schoolmates who also worked at the Mall called out to her, "What the *bleep!* is going on?"

"Keep that guy off me if you can! Thanks Sean!" she said, not bothering to go down the escalators the conventional way. She slid down its handles. Her mind remembered nothing, but her body did. 

When they reached the car park, Kurama drove them out of there. I don't know why I should mention this, but he also managed to pay the parking fee while he was at it. In the car, Karen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She concentrated on the sensations of her body, allowing them to tell her what her mind could not catch. Kurama did not concentrate totally on driving, but observed the young girl discreetly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Hiei disappeared from her sight, Sukina fainted. On the other side of the world a Sentinel breathed a shuddering sigh of relief. Her sister spoke up. 

_Are you alright, dearest sister?_

_Yes. I had to use her body to send Hiei the message. I hope Mukuro gets there in time. _

_What does Mukuro have to do with us?_

_We have a tie with Mukuro that goes beyond time, beyond fate. The Creator herself tied the string that binds us together. _

_What about the others? Karen is still in danger. _

_Don't worry about your other self. Karma was right. Her body remembers what her mind forgot. What we need to do now is to find Rumen. _

_Yes. He's the one who caused this all. _

_An eye for an eye. _

_Our destinies for his. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sukina awoke to find a horribly-disfigured woman kneeling over her in concern. She did not know the woman, but she was not about to scream out either. In her eyes were concern and anxiety. Sukina felt reassured by her eyes. 

"Daijobu?" Mukuro asked Sukina in her softest and gentlest voice, not caring that her face might scare the Ninjen. Sukina nodded. 

She sat up and then caught sight of Shuura. Her eyebrow rose as she realised that he was no ordinary human. What human would have unusually pointed ears and horns on his forehead? She did not question though, realising that Mama Ikari, the head of the orphanage who was on the other side of the bed, did not seem to object to their presence. 

As she nodded in answer to Mukuro and Ikari's questions, she was aware of a malevolent glare coming from a corner. Turning, she saw Hiei. She recognised him, of course, as the man who had saved her. "You!" was all she could say when there was a huge burst of golden chi. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phew! Wow! If this keeps up this will be the first fanfic I've finished in two weeks! Yipes! Well, please read and review, and tell me what you all think of it. I'm going to sleep for now. 


	10. Chapter 9

Kurama was livid when Yusuke called him with the news. He and Naoko were in his hotel room, with the girl still trying to figure out what was happening. He tried to get on the network to talk to them through the Webcam but for some reason the connection kept failing. Karen, drawn to him from the other room by his curses, came over, rechecked the power supply before finally locating the problem. 

A loose wire. 

Kurama thanked her wordlessly, then sat down and was connected a few minutes later to Kuwabara's house. Yusuke and Koenma were there, as well as Botan, but three demons were conspicuously missing.  (No prizes for guessing who ^_^ )

"What happened?" Kurama asked. Karen stood next to him, her eyes widening at the sight of a really cute guy sucking on a pacifier.*

"They captured Sukina, Hiei and Mukuro. The lady who was working there told us that Shuura suddenly burst into golden light, and a hold opened up beside him. One moment they were there, the next, nothing," Koenma said. 

"How could that have happened?" Yusuke was asking Koenma, when Kurama supplied the answer. 

"Puppet Master. That wasn't Shuura's maturation chi colour." His last statement drew a blank response from all of them on the other side. 

"Demons who have only one parent's gene exclusively (i.e. Shuura) will emit an unusual amount of chi at the point of puberty in their bodies. Depending on their species, the colour they exhibit may differ in intensity. The only youkai which exhibit gold colours would be Puppet Master Demons at puberty, or when they are controlling an immature youkai," Karen recited from memory. Her eyes were glazed and she was staring unblinkingly at the wall. 

"Who are you?" Koenma asked. 

"You know who I am. Don't question so much, Son of Enma. We have not much time. If Rumen kills the young one before her time nothing will stop us from attacking. Find her among the dead and the forked ones! Hurry!" Karen fainted as she finished. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hiei slashed at the shield with no effect. He had tried everything short of the Black Flame Dragon Emperor Attack to destroy the shield. He was keeping that in reserve. And because Mukuro had warned him that if he tried it, he himself would have been burnt to a crisp and it would be a wasted effort. 

She herself hung suspended by chains in a crucifixion pose. The position was not uncomfortable, but chains had a way of bringing up long-forgotten memories and hatred. She snarled at the man who held them captive, who was now standing in front of the unconscious Sukina. 

The girl stood suspended in a force field of reflective chi. She looked quite normal, as though she were asleep, but the bruises and cuts she had sustained told a different story. Somehow, while they were travelling through a Dimensional Path to Rumen, Sukina had found the ability to fight Shuura. She had lost, but at least it ensured that they had arrived safely. The Master of the Dungeons, as he called himself, did not want her injured. 

"Such beauty and power…" the youkai said. "I can see why they covet you."

Shuura stood next to him, his eyes glazed and unblinking. The youkai suddenly turned to him and whistled. Six Janioes appeared. He gave instructions regarding the 'prisoners' to them. "Look after this one. When the time comes she will be reunited and killed with her sister," he said. Shuura nodded. 

The Janioes stood in front of Hiei's cell and sneered at him. They remembered that their sisters had died not too long ago in the failed attempt to capture the Heirs. Hiei stood out more than most because while the others had been slightly merciful to women, Hiei hadn't. This is Hiei we're talking about. 

Mukuro struggled uselessly against her chains, aware that her fighting abilities would kill them all if she used them here. She shook her head from side to side, pretending to struggle but in actual fact trying to dislodge something in her hair. One of the Janioes turned to her and smiled, a horrible look because it was the smile of the dead. 

"My my… You're a pretty one. With just a few alterations…" the Janioes lifted her hand to Mukuro's face, who flinched back badly, "You could be one of us. And with your power…" the Janioes smiled as Mukuro tried to avoid her, hitting her head against the wall by accident, "Hahaha! Don't be so shy little one! Trust me, we Janioes under Rumen enjoy pleasure that no other living being has experienced," the Janioes laughed. 

"Of course no other living being has experienced such pleasure," Mukuro said, eliciting a pleased smile from the Janioes, "You're all dead!" she continued, making the Janioes' flush with anger. She slapped Mukuro hard across the face. 

"If it weren't that the Master specified that he wanted you _alive_, I would have killed you for that!" she said, going back to where the other Janioes were laughing. 

"I doubt you could even kill a flea," Mukuro whispered, a tiny pick in her hand. That slap had thrown the pick into her hair from one of her mechanical parts. 

As she picked the lock slowly so as not to arouse the Janioes, Shuura turned from where he was watching Sukina to her. His eyes were dead, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. Mukuro froze. He turned his back towards her and she was beginning to curse again when she saw something moving across his back. A pair of claws appeared. _Of course! Puppet Master! I should have known. They must be keeping Yomi somewhere around here too_, Mukuro thought to herself. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*No, I'm not a Koenma no Miko. More like a Kurama no Miko *^_^* 

The following sequences would be better off in another chapter, so I've prolonged everything to the next one. Have fun reading, and thanks for everything!


	11. Chapter 10

Well, this is the last chapter. Whether it will answer everyone's questions (cough! Hack!) Is another matter entirely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, tell us again why you guys think that it's the Snake Ash Tree and not maybe Serpentine Slaughter?" Yusuke asked as they waded through a swamp. 

Koenma had been able to drop them about twenty minutes away from the Snake Ash Tree, which was simply a gigantic Ash tree with lots of snakes on it. They had earlier discussed the clues in Koenma's office, but were divided between Serpentine Slaughter and the Makai Snake Ash Tree. One of the dead souls had been screaming about Ashes, which earned him a promotion from the Lowest Level of Hell to 5000 years in Purgatory. 

"She said _among_ the dead. Not just the dead. That meant that the dead and the snakes co-mingle. Serpentine Slaughter was simply where the snakes killed everyone else," Karen said in a nonchalant tone. However, she was obviously nervous at the thought of going near snakes. 

"What's with you and snakes anyway? You seem pretty scared of them. They aren't that bad… If you don't get too close to the poisonous ones. Look! A viper!" Yusuke replied, pointing. 

"Eek! Where?" Karen said, immediately jumping on the person behind her in fear. He stopped, looked at her with huge and surprised eyes, and the next thing you know, all of them were face down in the swamp. Kuwabara had walked straight into Kurama's back, who was taken by surprise. Not more than a second later Yusuke joined them.

As they looked up, they could see that the Ash Tree was no longer there. Getting up and running to the spot, they found a gigantic hole that seemed to overlook a small citadel instead. Suddenly they heard a familiar voice, followed by screams. "Hiei," the boys said, grinning at each other. 

"Let's go, or else we'll miss the fun!" Yusuke said. 

"Hold on, Miss Karen," Kurama said, picking her up and jumping down into the hole. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several minutes earlier…

Sukina was muttering to herself. She tossed her head this way and that, as though she was in a dream and she was finding it a nightmare. Mukuro spared her a sad look, whispering "Hold on, daughter of my friend. Wait for me," she said. She picked the lock, but it took her some extra seconds as the lock proved to be more complicated than she thought. Either that or her skills had deteriorated further than she had been led to believe. 

Hiei meanwhile, had seen her and was keeping the Janioes busy. He was snarling at them. That was all he was doing. (This is _Hiei _we're talking about, remember?). Yet the Janioes took more pleasure in teasing him and shouting at him. 

With a click Mukuro's chain fell away. The Janioes did not seem to hear it, but they did hear the clang as it hit the wall. Turning, they snarled and ran towards Mukuro, only to be confronted by Shuura. His voice was dead, definitely controlled by a Puppet Master. 

"Let her go free. I want to fight her," he said. Mukuro used the time to pick the other lock and then jumped at Shuura's back. 

The boy was quicker than she'd thought. Three years after the first Makai Tournament, he had improved by leaps and bounds. He moved unhesitatingly like his father, with the added grace that erased the same naivete he had shown three years ago. 

Mukuro lunged for his back, but he turned and in one smooth move threw her against wall next to Sukina. She created an impression on the wall. Growling, she launched herself back into the fray. Shuura was waiting for her, but this time there was almost imperceptible hesitation in his moves. 

_His body rebelling?_

She tried to reach for Shuura's back, but he simply pushed her hand away. She used her other hand and tried the same move, and he pushed away that hand too. She suddenly crouched and swiped his legs, but he saw the move and jumped up. Mukuro's fist lunged out and caught him in the stomach. She twisted it, gained purchase, and literally threw him over his head. There was a squishing sound as the puppet was smashed against the floor, cushioning Shuura's back. 

When Shuura didn't get up, the Janioes realised that he had lost and attacked Mukuro in force. It was then that Sukina made her choice. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Thy sister comes_, the Ancient One said. 

No, I cannot allow her to do this. The burden is mine and mine alone!

_Do you mean yourself and your sister, or that woman now fighting for you?_

All of them! I don't want any of them to die for me! I want to be able to choose for myself!

_Even if the choice means that you will die?_

Let the burden be mine and mine alone. 

_It cannot. The burden is ours, little one. We both know how it is to merely **watch**_**. **_If you choose that, we must merge or the world will end and all will be for naught. _

So be it. There has been enough deaths already. The Mercenaries, Mother…

_So be it then. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The shaft of Golden Light descended and destroyed the Makai Snake Ash Tree above. Below, it descended on Sukina, who opened her eyes and glared at the Janioes. That was enough for the force field to break, Hiei's shield to dissolve, and burnt the Janioes to a crisp. It also set off any number of alarms, which brought Rumen and the Janioes running. Hiei shouted something and as he went berserk, the Janioes screamed. That was when Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Karen came down the hole. 

"Sukina!" Mukuro screamed. 

The girl was enveloped in golden light. She stood there unmoving, a few feet off the ground. Mukuro watched as Sukina lifted a finger and pointed to Rumen. Her voice was not like anyone's she'd known. It was imperious commanding and harsh.

"You served Cabalistic, and destroyed millions. In your quest for vengeance you imprisoned our people and forced us to follow your commands. Lives were not enough. You chose to enslave souls as well! The Creator will not allow this! You are worst than the Destroyer himself!" Sukina accused. 

"Destroy him!" she said, as bursts of golden light sprouted from her body, to be countered by Rumen's own Dark Shield. He laughed at her. 

"Do you really think that you alone are the favourite of the Creator? I am the Son of the Destroyer, damn it!" he said, throwing pure chi at her. 

_Sister, I need your help!_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karen was shocked. They were trying to find their way to where the three people were being held, but everything was in chaos. Karen didn't have a sister. 

_It's time,_ someone else's voice resounded in her head. 

"I don't need to think it over. If there is someone who needs my help, so be it. I choose to merge," Karen whispered, knowing intuitively that this was the right choice.

In that instant she was taken to Sukina's side. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sukina felt a hand hold hers as she battled with Rumen. She felt power flowing into her veins, but no words. The dreams, came back to her in a flash. **_I_**_ was the masked women. In the end all I have is myself_. None of them paid any heed to the fighting going around them. 

Mukuro knew that Sukina was trying to destroy Rumen, but this was out of her hands. She could not stop them from fighting. Yet… She saw several Janioes attempting to approach Sukina and Naoko, and she knew what was on their minds. Screaming, she engaged them in battle. Hiei and the other Reikai Tantei soon joined her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shuura woke up to find two sides to a battle. He saw that Rumen was holding his own, while Sukina and Naoko seemed to be weakening. He remembered how the man had taken his soul and corrupted it, holding his father in his own sick hands. He knew where Yomi was, knew where to find him. But first, there was this matter to settle. 

He saw a sword lying next to him, forgotten in the battle. He picked it up and threw it at Rumen with all his might, and then ran for his life. He needed to find his father. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's it for this chapter. Please read the epilogue. Phew! This was long!


	12. Epilogue

Wow! That was a long chapter now, wasn't it? It took me quite a bit of time to write that one up. I didn't know how to end it, you see. Well, this is an epilogue. Of sorts. Plus, reading lots of epics make me write more, making everything one epic. Hehehe… Well that's all I have for Awakening now. I'll probably get started on my next story next week or something like that. Ciao!

Kittengrl: Thanks for staying with me. I hope that at least, _you'll_ like this. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Oto-san! Are you okay?" Shuura asked his father. _

_Yomi looked up from where he was imprisoned (figuratively speaking). Shuura stood in front of his cell, seemingly none the worse for wear. The one-time Makai ruler knew that he looked anything but presentable. He was aware that his clothes were torn, his hair was in a mess, and he looked even worse than a beggar did. When that youkai came to them three weeks ago Yomi never expected things to turn out this way._

_"Oto-san! Stay back! I'll open this gate!" With a blast of chi the fragile gate fell away and Yomi was free to move. _

_"What's going on? Are you really my son?" Yomi asked. _

_"Yes. Mukuro helped me get rid of the Puppeteer. They're fighting now. Oto-san, we must leave now!" Shuura said, getting into the cell and lifting his father onto his back. _

_Yomi let his son carry him without a word. He was blind, remember? Plus his senses (minus his hearing, which had been limited) had been blocked temporarily by Rumen. Rumen had distracted him while he tricked Shuura into wearing the Puppeteer. Once Shuura had been 'captured,' Yomi had no choice but to capitulate. _

_The citadel began to shake and shatter. It was going down. Shuura ran with all his might towards the exit, knowing that they only had a few minutes to spare. He only hoped that he had helped and not hindered Mukuro-sama, Kurama-onii-chan and the others when he had thrown that sword. _

_He found the others waiting for him when he reached the stairs that used to link the Snake Ash Tree to Makai. Sukina was smiling at him, as was her sister. "We've been waiting for you," she said in her gentlest voice, before enveloping all of them in a golden chi and lifting them into the sky. The explosion that took place beneath them when they lifted off help them gain some altitude as well. _

_Once they had settled down in a clearing not too far away, Shuura found that he was exhausted. He put his father down, went to one side as the 'elders' began to discuss ways of getting home, and laid down on the cushy earth. Sukina came over to him and told him to put his head on his lap. He was too tired to think of why she might do that and went to sleep almost immediately._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That boy saved us," Mukuro said as Shuura went to sleep on Sukina's lap. 

"I know. My sister and I were not the ones meant to slay Rumen. _Something new from something used_. I'd say that fit Shuura perfectly," Naoko said. 

"Are you…?" Yusuke asked, making Naoko grinned. 

"The Spirit of the Wielder and Karen, her Heir, merged. The only thing the Divine Beings couldn't have predicted was Cabalistic, also known as the Destroyer. Rumen, being his most favoured disciple, shared some of his traits, including being hidden from Karma and Chronos. Some things are beyond their hands. Free will is one of them. When my sister and I choose to merge souls with the Wielders, we were just reaffirming something we knew from long before. That was due to Chance, of course. She's the third way, the unexpected by anyone," Naoko said. 

"So the two of you have your memories back?" Kuwabara asked. 

"And so much more. I won't tell you. You'll just have to find out," she grinned. 

"It still doesn't solve the problem of how to get back," Hiei growled. 

"My people are on their way here. I can hear them. They'll be here in a few hours," Yomi said. "And what do you mean, _used_?" they laughed. 

"So, killing Rumen began the process of undoing his spells… Interesting," Kurama said. 

"'Nee-chan!" Sukina called out softly, "Thank you for not berating me just now," Sukina said when her sister had come closer. Naoko smiled. 

"You've matured far more than anyone ever suspected little sister. How could I lecture one as mature as you?" Naoko ruffled her sister's hair, eliciting a cry of protest. 

"Are you insulting me?" Sukina said. 

"I think she was teasing you, daughter of my friend," Mukuro sat next to them and laughed. 

For some reason seeing the three of them together with Shuura sleeping peacefully made the hairs on the back of the guys' neck stand, including Yomi. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two months later, Koenma was looking at a letter from his counterpart overseas. He grimaced at the thought of telling the guys that it would be a baby-sitting job. Then again, he mused sadistically, it would be interesting to watch them in a new setting. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is definitely the quickest fanfic I've written. So, try and guess the crossover series. Let me just say that it's NOT Inu-yasha. I don't watch it, so I can't write it. If you guessed correctly, you earn a mention in the first chapter. Until then, ja!


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